Definition
The published end point of a route, procedure, or airway segment, where that route officially stops and the aircraft must transition to another route, procedure, or instruction.
Plain English
The spot where a route or procedure ends. After this point, you need a new route or a new instruction to keep going.
Context Anchor
Seen in NOTAM contractions, route descriptions, procedure text, and other published aviation information that identifies where something begins and ends.
Derivation
From Latin terminare, meaning 'to set a limit' or 'to end.' A point of termination is simply the place where something is set to end — in this case, a route or procedure.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing where a route or procedure formally ends matters for navigation and ATC compliance. Past the point of termination, the previous clearance or routing no longer applies, and the pilot must follow whatever comes next — a new clearance, a hold, or a published transition.
Intuition Check
Do not read termination as canceling a flight or ending all operations. Here it means the specific location where the described item ends.
Example Sentence 1
The NOTAM listed the point of termination for the affected airway segment as the VOR northeast of the field.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots checked the POT to confirm where the RNAV arrival procedure ended.